St. Petersburg College POS2041 – Fall Express 2016 Mr. Michael Gillham

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Instructor: Michael Gillham, MSIR Email: gillham.michael@spcollege.edu (Contact through MyCourses preferred) Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 7pm open chat session in MyCourses. All other times, by prior arrangement. Required Text:

American Government and Politics Today: Essentials 2015-2016 Edition Bardes, Shelley, and Schmidt (18th Edition) Wadsworth/Cengage Learning ISBN: 9781285853154 (paperback) Course Prerequisites (ENC 0020 or ENC 0025) and (REA 0002 or REA 0017)) or EAP 1695 or appropriate score on the SPC placement test.

Course Description

This survey course provides a comprehensive examination of the American political system. Through this

course students will become familiar with theory, organization, principles, and function of the American

national government, and various elements within the political system that work to shape policy

outcomes. This course partially satisfies the writing requirements outlined in the General Education

Requirements.

Major Learning Outcomes of this course

By the end of the course, you will accomplish all these things: Explain the purpose of government. Understand the American federal system. Examine the various philosophical, cultural and political experiences that impacted the creation and

evolution of principles and values of the American political system. Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental principles and features of the original

Constitution of 1787. Demonstrate an understanding of civil liberties as contained in the Constitution and interpreted by

the courts. Demonstrate knowledge of various movements to secure civil rights protections. Discuss the organization and functions of the legislative branch. Describe the organization and functions of the executive branch. Discuss the organization and functions of the judicial branch. Describe the nature of policy-making and the factors that work to shape policy outcomes. Demonstrate knowledge of the role of political parties and interest groups, and the impact of public

opinion and political participation by diverse groups on the American political system. Demonstrate increased ability in writing.

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POS 2041 – American National Government

Fall Express 2016 Mr. Michael Gillham

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Class Requirements and Grading A large volume of material is covered in this course. Students are expected to keep up with the reading and the corresponding assignments. This includes completing the assigned readings, completing unit exams, and the position paper writing project. Readings: Students are expected to complete readings each week as indicated in the course outline below. Additional, material (videos, articles, slides) will be provided on MyCourses, which will highlight key concepts in American Government. Take a look at these. They will help make the material more understandable, and perhaps more memorable. Exams: There will be 5 unit exams during the term covering the Lessons corresponding with each of the five sections (The American System, Civil Rights and Liberties, Political Institutions, People and Politics, and Public Policy) of the textbook, covering key terms and concepts. The format of the tests will primarily be multiple choice, matching, and/or short answer. The exams will cover material presented in the assigned reading. Each will be a timed test administered online in MyCourses on the scheduled days. Each exam will consist of approximately 25-30 questions, drawn from each of the chapters covered. Each exam will be worth 100 points. The final exam will not be cumulative. See the course outline below for exam dates. Writing Requirements: POS 2041 is a Gordon Rule class, so there is a substantial writing requirement of a minimum of 2,000 words. To receive credit in a Gordon Rule course, you must receive a grade of C or higher. To satisfy this requirement, students will complete an iterative writing project to develop their sense of political efficacy, as well as their critical thinking and rhetorical skills. The assignment is completed in four parts: 1) Issue Proposal (25 points): A written proposal (300 words minimum), wherein each student will

select an issue for research and exposition, and provide background on the issue and describe initial research. The proposal will follow APA style. A grading rubric and example will be provided for this assignment.

2) Annotated Bibliography (50 points): a list of a minimum of ten (10) outsides sources, both online and

print, with bibliographic information (i.e., the author, title, publisher, etc.) as well as a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources. These will be cited following APA style. A grading rubric and example will be provided for this assignment. More information is available at the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) website: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/

3) Position Paper (100 points): A written position paper (1,100 words minimum) in length, requiring

critical reading and analysis of the U.S. Government policy issue that the students chose in their issue proposal. This is an argumentative essay, outlining their position and supporting arguments, using the authoritative sources cited previously in the student’s annotated bibliography. Sources will be cited within the text in APA style, with a listing of works cited at the end. Additional background, format template and a grading rubric will be included in the advance sheet for this assignment. More information is available at the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) website: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/724/1/

POS 2041 – American National Government

Fall Express 2016 Mr. Michael Gillham

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4) Action Document (25 points): (minimum of 300 words / max. 500 words) written product for

submission to an outside source that the student believes would be the most influential in moving their issue forward. This can be a letter to an elected representative, a letter or e-mail to a media outlet (letter to the editor), to a Federal agency, or a blog post. A grading rubric will be provided for this assignment.

All writing assignments will be completed using American Psychological Association (APA) style. Students may access APA citation style handouts online through the SPC library online Web site. To access a page of links and information on the APA citation style, go to the SPC library online Web site at http://www.spcollege.edu/central/libonline/ . Click on the Citation Help link under “I Need to Find” on the left side of the page then click APA style at the top of the page. Additional resources for APA format are found within the class page in MyCourses.

MS Word Times New Roman 12 point font is the standard for all writing assignments. Upload each of the completed documents to the appropriate drop box in MyCourses. For those students interested, I will review any drafts up to one week before the assignment is due. I will provide feedback and broad guidance in the areas listed in the grading rubric for the assignment; however, I will not edit or “pre-grade” student papers. Students struggling with these assignments are encouraged to visit SPC libraries for assistance in researching and writing. http://www.spcollege.edu/libraries/ Grading scheme: Issue Proposal: 25 points Annotated Bibliography: 50 points Position Paper: 100 points Action Document: 25 points Section Exams (5 x 100): 500 points

Total Possible 700 points

Grading Scale:

A 700-630

B 629-560

C 559-490

D 489-420

F 419-0

Expectations of Students: Active Course Participation and Withdrawal: Students must complete writing assignments and unit exams on the scheduled days in order to be considered as actively participating in this course. Students who are not actively participating in the course following the voluntary withdrawal date should expect a grade of “WF.” Last day to voluntarily withdrawal with a grade of “W” is 10/31/2016. Making up missed exams: Students will complete prescribed exams on the dates indicated in the course outline below. There are no make-up exams except under extreme circumstances. Students are responsible for contacting me in a timely manner to arrange for any make-up exam. In order to preserve the integrity of the online exams, any make-up exam will not be the same as the test as originally delivered online. www.spcollege.edu/testing/ Terms of Class Discussion: The process and issues associated with American Government are rooted in the diversity of opinion. The divergence of opinion can and does lead to vocal debate, which can spill over into my online office hours (open chat). Since this course touches on various political subjects and the sometimes-controversial dynamics of American Government, it is essential for us to maintain a civil environment. Students are expected to show respect for one another and limit their remarks to

POS 2041 – American National Government

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thoughtful analysis of each others’ arguments. Conversely, students should expect to have their opinions questioned within the rules of rational debate. Academic Dishonesty: St. Petersburg College expects students to be honest in all of their academic work. By enrolling at the college, students agree to adhere to the high standards of academic honesty and integrity and understand that failure to comply with this pledge may result in academic and disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from the college. As members of the college community, students also have an ethical obligation to report violations of the SPC academic honesty policies they may witness. Please refer to https://www.spcollege.edu/academichonesty/ for additional information on the SPC Academic Honesty Policy. Use of copyrighted material: Copyrighted material posted on this course website is used in compliance with United States Copyright Law. Under that law you may use the material for educational purposes related to the learning outcomes of this course. You may not further download, copy, alter, or distribute the material unless in accordance with copyright law or with permission of the copyright holder. For more information on copyright visit http://www.copyright.gov. What You Can Expect From Me:

Meaningful assignments to broaden your knowledge of the American political system and help improve your ability to critically think and communicate

Availability to address any concerns or issues that may interfere with the learning process

Quick turnaround on exam grades and written assignments

A reasonable class pace that will satisfy the course objectives

Thoughtful and critical responses to your written assignments to enhance your understanding of the subject

Well organized, easy to follow course design Academic Support: I strongly encourage students to take advantage of the resources available on campus. Students who visit SPC Learning Centers more than four times in a term have better than an 80% chance at success. Visit the Learning Center on your campus frequently throughout the term to take get the most from FREE tutoring, computer labs, assistance with essay writing, or just a quiet place to study. http://www.spcollege.edu/support/ Syllabus Addendum: Notes on Add/Drop information, grading policies, Attendance and Withdrawal Policies, and other administrative issues can be found at the Syllabus Addendum: http://www.spcollege.edu/addendum/index.php.

POS 2041 – American National Government

Fall Express 2016 Mr. Michael Gillham

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COURSE OUTLINE

Week Dates What to read What’s Due by 23:55 Eastern

1 12 - 17 Sep

Admin notes/Course Overview

Chapter 1: The Democratic Republic

Position Paper Advance Sheet posted on MyCourses

15 Sep: Political Compass Test https://www.politicalcompass.org/test

2 18 - 24 Sep Chapter 2: The Constitution

Chapter 3: Federalism

3 25 Sep – 1 Oct

Chapter 4: Civil Liberties

Chapter 5: Civil Rights

U.S. Constitution, Amendments 1-10, 13, 14, 15, 19

2 Oct: EXAM – The American System

2 Oct: Turn-in Issue Proposal

4 2 - 8 Oct Chapter 12: Congress U.S. Constitution, Article 1

9 Oct: EXAM– Civil Rights and Liberties

5 9 - 15 Oct Chapter 13: The President U.S. Constitution, Article 2

6 16 - 22 Oct Chapter 15: The Courts U.S. Constitution, Article 3

23 Oct: Turn-in Annotated Bibliography

7 23 - 29 Oct Chapter 14: The Bureaucracy

8 30 Oct – 5 Nov

Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization

Chapter 7: Interest Groups

6 Nov: EXAM – Political Institutions

31 Oct: Last day to voluntarily withdrawal with a grade of “W”

9 6 - 12 Nov Chapter 8: Political Parties

10 13 - 19 Nov Chapter 9: Campaigns, Elections

Chapter 10: The Media 20 Nov:- Turn-in Position Paper

11 20 - 26 Nov Chapter 14: Domestic and Economic Policy U.S. Constitution, Amendment 16 27 Nov: EXAM – People & Politics

12 27 Nov – 3 Dec Chapter 15 - Foreign Policy 4 Dec: Turn-in Action Document

13 4 - 8 Dec Admin notes/course critique 5 Dec: EXAM – Public Policy

This syllabus provides general guidelines for this section of POS 2041. It is subject to change as required by the instructor.

version 5 September 2016